Jennifer Caplan is an intern for the NYBG Greenmarket this summer season. She is an environmental studies and international affairs double major at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. She is interested in gardening and cooking the fruits and vegetables purchased at the NYBG Greenmarket and her local market.
Although the food at the market is always fun to taste and look at, the people and the events are probably the best part of all. The New York Botanical GardenGreenmarket is fortunate to have not only a wide selection of seasonal vegetables, fruits, and baked goods, but we also have weekly guests that come to promote healthy living for those in the community, like the Albert Einstein College of Medicine sharing a study on Hispanic community health, or helping locals lead a more sustainable lifestyle with Bronx Green-Up’s Compost Q&As.
GrowNYC is also on location at the market to provide cooking demonstrations and recipes, and to assist customers using debit or credit cards, WIC and FMNP coupons, and EBT payments. The GrowNYC tent is also where you can learn about farmer’s markets in other parts of New York City, each one being unique in its own way.
If you have any questions on any of the goods being sold at the market, make sure you talk to the vendors and farmers who are present—they sure do love to talk! Last week I had a chance to talk to one of the farmers from Gajeski Produce. We discussed what it was like to have a farm on Long Island and how it was affected by extreme weather like Hurricane Sandy last fall and the recent heat wave. He said that when Long Island flooded during Sandy, many of his leafy herbs died from salt damage, hurting the farm’s production. Now, the recent heat has caused them to water more frequently, and their crop yield has been successful.
Last week we discussed how to plant your water lilies. This week we will focus on the bloom. Water lilies flower for 3 – 5 days, with the bloom emerging from the murky depths on the first day, opening, and standing erect. On the second day, the flower starts to bend slightly, slouching more on the third day and falling back into the water by the fifth.
Once the bloom disappears back into the water, it is a good idea to take your hand and run it down the stem until you get close to the base, then either snap or cut it off. The water lily stem will start to get mushy as it ages, and sometimes a good tug is all you need.
In a pond situation, the flower head forms seeds that eventually find their home on the muddy floor of the pond. As a homeowner, however, you are probably interested in maximizing your bloom. Seed production takes energy away from flowering, so try to remove old flowers and foliage once a week to keep your water lily tidy and focused on producing flowers.
It may be commonplace—the London planetree accounts for one in 10 of the street trees you see in New York City—but its recognizable seed balls still carry a bit of Seussian charm.
Platanus x acerfolia ‘Pyramidalis’ — Photo by Ivo M. Vermeulen
We’ve made our way through cucumbers and gin, berry-tinged tequila, and the finest in Italian jazz, and as we near Thursday night’s final Cocktail Evening & Summer Concert of the Wild Medicine exhibition, we’re changing it up one more time. If you’re as much a fan of the smoky nuance of bourbon as I am, you’ll want to clear your evening schedule.
This round’s specialty cocktail is “Strawberry Fields,” a balanced mix of Crème Yvette, bourbon, ginger ale and lime—all matched to the tenor of Michéal Castaldo, our guest singer. Backed by his string quartet, he brings the classic standards of his Italian homeland to our stage for one night only.
Preface your evening out with a quiet walk through our Wild Medicine displays in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, strolling around the Italian Renaissance Garden and the many medicinal plants growing in our glasshouse. Afterward, grab your complementary cocktail and a few samples from Mike’s Deli and the Bronx Beer Hall, or bring a blanket and pick up a picnic dinner to enjoy the concert from the Conservatory Lawn. Those looking to keep the night moving will find a cash bar with wine, beer, food, and other refreshments available.
The hakone grass frames your point of view, the rush of the cascade fills out the ambiance, and—all put together—the Rock Garden helps you check out for a while.
People often ask me if we take visitor-submitted photographs, and without fail, I can’t talk up our NYBG Flickr group enough. Traveling visitors, local residents, and even a few Garden staffers—like the Herbarium’s Amy Weiss—contribute dozens of photos each week to this community. Novice shutterbug or veteran photographer, we encourage you all to join up.
Not to kick off your Saturday with a growling stomach (not that brunch is a bad idea), but I thought we’d take a look back at the plated perfection of our last Family Dinner with Mario Batali’s Chefs before we jump into the next one tomorrow night. Piqued palates welcome!
Got your Family Dinner tickets yet? This Sunday, August 11, we launch into the second of three top-notch culinary adventures as a new batch of Mario Batali’s finest chefs team up to treat your appetite. Top billing this round goes to Chef Andy Nusser of Tarry Lodge and Chef Anthony Sasso of Casa Mono, with a rich, varied menu of fruits, vegetables, and savory dishes that make artful use of the grill. Time is running out, and so are open spots, so make a point of visiting Priceless NY to get your tickets.
Elsewhere in the Garden, Wild Medicine is only getting better with the flush of summer’s greenery. The Italian Renaissance Garden in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory is a daily-changing landscape festooned with the therapeutic plants, trees, and flowers of Italy’s garden at Padua. In the Ross Hall, we’re spotlighting the Music and Dance of the Renaissance with the talented bards of Early Music New York and The New York Historical Dance Company. The Library is a haven for history buffs right now with The Renaissance Herbal‘s collection of centuries-old botanical tomes. And in the Home Gardening Center, we’re going practical with water-wise gardening tips and plant placement advice. Whether you’re revisiting your seaside garden with new resolve post-Sandy, or just not sure what to plant in your backyard, our horticulturists have the answers.
From the Mozzarella di Bufala to the Pistachio Olive Oil Cake, the three-course, family-style meal cooked up by Chefs Cruz Goler and Frank Langello during July’s Family Dinner was a summer highlight for food lovers. But with different chefs come new and unique dishes! And without missing a beat, we’re leaping headlong into our second Family Dinner this Sunday, August 11, with the talents of another pair of Mario Batali‘s renowned chefs at the ready. With Chef Anthony Sasso of Casa Mono and Chef Andy Nusser of Tarry Lodge manning the grill, this is an unmissable al fresco experience.
Heirloom tomatoes, Shrimp al Ajillo, grilled apricots—there’s a lot going into this round’s menu. But I won’t spoil it all for you if you don’t want to see it; you can always find the full listing here. In the meantime, you’ll be greeted with expertly paired wines, sparkling Italian water, bookend cooking demonstrations set up around the dinner schedule, and hands-on gardening activities to keep your little ones occupied while the food is cooking up.
These photos from our July 28 evening, courtesy of Andrea House, should give you a taste of what you’ll enjoy this Sunday.
Although the food at the market is always fun to taste and look at, the people and the events are probably the best part of all. The New York Botanical Garden Greenmarket is fortunate to have not only a wide selection of seasonal vegetables, fruits, and baked goods, but we also have weekly guests that come to promote healthy living for those in the community, like the Albert Einstein College of Medicine sharing a study on Hispanic community health, or helping locals lead a more sustainable lifestyle with Bronx Green-Up’s Compost Q&As.
